


Welcome to Camp Karasuno!

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Fluff, M/M, i put mature for rating but nothing of that sort will appear for a few chapters?, this is all just gonna be light and summery because my other chapter fic hurts my heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-19
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-15 12:10:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4606254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Kageyama stared out the window of his father’s truck dramatically, mourning the loss of the next last three weeks of his summer. The next three weeks that would be sacrificed for the greater good of friendship bracelets, leadership activities, capture the flag and campfire songs. Kageyama, 16 years old and wishing desperately that he was back home with some video games and milk boxes, was going to summer camp. "</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> largely inspired by my own camp experience, so this fic will be a mess of summer feelings and nostalgia. If anyone has requests for specific kagehina camp things, comment below and I'll try to work them in!! Enjoy!

Kageyama stared out the window of his father’s truck dramatically, mourning the loss of the next last three weeks of his summer. The next three weeks that would be sacrificed for the greater good of friendship bracelets, leadership activities, capture the flag and campfire songs. Kageyama, 16 years old and wishing desperately that he was back home with some video games and milk boxes, was going to summer camp. 

Kageyama’s laments were interrupted as the truck pulled off the main road onto an obscure dusty path. The car slowed and Kageyama’s prison for the entire month was revealed. A cheerful wooden sign reading “Welcome to Camp Karasuno!!!” in neon paint glared into his eyes. Kageyama could feel hints of a headache behind his temples, and rubbed them irritably. Exiting the car, he moved towards the trunk to grab his duffel bag and backpack. After enduring an attempted sentimental goodbye from his step-mother and father, Kageyama hitched his bags over his shoulder and set off towards the cabin labeled registration. 

The fresh air was admittedly helpful, reducing the tension in Kageyama’s temples. Out of the presence of his parents, he could breath a little easier. Kageyama quickly arrived at the sign-in table of the registration cabin and squinted through the first of what would be many enthusiastic smiles at the hands of his counselors. The one smiling at him had a soft, pale complexion despite being in a woodsy summer camp, with a mole under one of his eyes and grey hair that was tied back into a small ponytail. On his shirt was a neon purple sticker that said, “Hi! I’m Suga!!” with a small smiley drawn next to the counselor's name. The boy’s voice, welcoming him and asking for registration papers broke Kageyama from his observations. He unzipped his bags and handed Suga his papers. At the table next to him, a gruff looking man with tan skin and short black hair, probably about Suga’s age, seemed to be lecturing two teenagers wearing dark purple shirts with "CIT" written on the back simply by glaring at them and smiling sagely. Kageyama was quietly thankful he got to register with Suga. 

The grey haired boy quickly shuffled through Kageyama’s form before placing them in a bin on the table and looking back up to address him. "Since you're one of the older campers, you'll be in tents instead of cabins. There's more spiders, but cabins get a lot hotter and you don't have to deal with bunk beds. Your tent number is 13-C and your bed will have your name on it." Suga smiled again, handing him a map.

Muttering a quick goodbye, Kageyama turned his attention to the map in his hands and began walking towards his tent. He found it with little trouble, finding it to be much spacier than expected and elevated off the ground by a wooden floor. The flaps were already up and Kageyama could hear voices from the inside 

He entered the tent only to find a boy with bright orange hair, tan lines and freckles sitting on the bed clearly labeled ‘Tobio, Kageyama’. Kageyama found himself trying to say something reasonable like ‘Who the hell are you? Get off my bed, dumbass?’ or ‘Any chance you could talk at a volume less than the amount of noise a rock concert makes?’ but found himself speechless as the boy started laughing brightly, face screwing up into a pouty frown instead of making words. He decided his muteness could be attributed to his hatred of the (disrespectful, bed stealing) boy, but somehow he knew this wasn’t true. Studying the boy’s red hair and huge smile as he chatted animatedly with the two other boys in the cabin he decided he didn’t hate him, he loathed him. That would explain the funny feeling in his chest. He nodded to himself, ignoring his own head’s quiet whisper of ‘you know that isn’t right.’ Kageyama was never known for his smarts. 

He stared (glared) at the boy for a few seconds, as if searching for an explanation of his presence on Kageyama’s bed, when his gaze was suddenly matched by huge brown eyes. The eyes quickly crinkled into a confused squint and the boy squawked, jumping off the bed into a fighting stance. “What’s with that face? Y-you wanna go?!” The boy was pretty short, Kageyama noticed, and his legs were covered in mosquito bites and cartoon bandages featuring phrases like ‘Oops!’ and ‘Battle Scars!’ He was wearing a lilac t-shirt that read Karasuno Campgrounds Est. 1879 and had a campfire underneath, and Kageyama could see about 12 colorful friendship bracelets hanging from his wrist. The boy in front of him bled camp spirit.

Finding his voice again, Kageyama responded in the only way he could, coldly. “Please leave.” The boy before him visibly bristled at this, like a bird with ruffled feathers. 

“You can’t just tell me what to do! Who do you think you are, some kind of dictator?” One of the other two campers in the room, a lanky boy with blonde hair and glasses, snickered. 

“You were on my bed, stupid!”

“Ehh??” The boy’s head shot back to the sign on the bed, reading the name quickly. “Kageyama? So what if I was sitting on your bed, it’s not like you were using it!” 

Kageyama readied his comeback, but as he opened his mouth a timid voice interrupted him from outside. “Uh...um-Hinata? Daichi said you have to come down to register. Even though you stayed last session, your second session forms still need to be processed…” A tall brunette with his hair pulled back into a messy bun stood in the doorway of the tent, scratching his cheek nervously when four pairs of eyes fell on him. 

“Ah, Asahi! It’s no problem. I’ll walk back with you.” Hinata’s eyes met Kageyama’s one more time before he wordlessly followed Asahi out of the tent.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukki's a fucker. Kageyama panics. Hinata understands, then helps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated both my chapter fics today for fanfic author appreciation day! a big hug to everyone in the kagehina community!!!! 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!
> 
> to explain this being Kageyama and Hinata’s first time meeting, i’m stealing Hinata’s backstory from the Haikyuu!! One Shot (chapter 0 - i’ll give you guys the link if you want it). he says that he played volleyball in middle school, but never entered any matches since his team was just three people (a “society”) as for Kageyama not spending his freshman year at karasuno? you’ll see!! 
> 
> (p.s. unbeta'd and written on my phone on a NY train while desperately trying to finish it before midnight, so forgive me if this chapter has a bunch of bs in it) 
> 
> (p.s.s. i finished it at 11:40! Success!)

As soon as Hinata left, the atmosphere in the tent changed immensely. Kageyama turned back to the other two campers only to be met with an insufferably knowing look from the blonde boy across from him. “The fallen king. What brings you to be mingling with the peasantry here?” Clenching his fists at his sides, Kageyama walked to his now unoccupied bed and began unpacking his duffel bag into the small cabinet the camp had supplied. He would stay calm. He had dealt with this all year at Aoba Johsai. He could deal with one low remark from a stranger. He could do this.

“How do you know who I am?” _‘Shit. Nice one Kageyama.’_

“Tsukki’s  super observant!" His friend piped adoringly from his side.

"Yamaguchi..."

"Ahh, sorry," The freckled boy replied, laughing gently.

"I was at one of the tournaments you competed at our last year of middle school. I was on the Amemaru team. We didn't play each other directly." Tsukishima pushed his glasses up with two fingers as something new glinted in his eyes. "Shame we never got to. Where were you when Karasuno faced Aoba Johsai? I know you got accepted there."

 _'Who is this guy?!'_ Kageyama chewed on his bottom lip, unsure of how to reply. He muttered something as Tsukishima and Yamaguchi's eyes refused to leave his face. "What was that, King?"

"I didn't make the team. My form was rejected."

"And why is that?"

"'Not suited for team sports.'" Angry tears welled up in his eyes without his permission and his fingers were trembling. Refusing to let the blond asshole across from him see him cry, Kageyama bolted from the tent.

"Don't you think you took that a little too far, Tsukki?"

"He insulted Hinata. Even I'm not that cruel."

"Well, when you first joined the team you sure didn't mind insulting him every five seconds."

"I was justified. He sucked...He's still obnoxiously loud."

Yamaguchi just laughed.

\--------------------------------------

Hinata was returning to his tent when a large, fast-moving body interrupted him from his endeavors, pitching him to the ground in the process. He was in the beginning of an "Are you okay?" when he realized who exactly it was that tackled him to the ground. "You?! Is this some kind of payback for sitting on your bed? Jeez, I knew people could hold grudges but I didn't know beds mattered to you so much. Wait... are you crying? If it mattered to you that much you could've just told me." Kageyama glared at him through his tears. "Oh. Not the bed. Then... Of course! Tsukishima did that scary thing where he knows all your weaknesses and makes you feel terrible, didn't he? Oh, I'm gonna yell at him so much!" Hinata looked too apologetic for someone who he had repeatedly insulted and even tackled to the ground. "Um... I can help you, but you'll have to get off my lap first."

Flushing, Kageyama broke from the trance Hinata's voice had put on him. He scrambled off of Hinata, and stood awkwardly as he rose to his feet. _'I should've offered him a hand, dammit. Nice job, Kageyama.'_ Before he could continue insulting himself, Hinata was calling for him to follow.

Kageyama followed him down a woodsy path until the dirt beneath him turned into grainy sand. Hinata sat down by the edge of the path and took off his sneakers and socks, leaving them by where he sat. Kageyama followed silently after a little consideration, tucking his socks neatly into each shoe and carrying them with him as Hinata continued to lead him down the path. Kageyama was too distracted by the blue lake that had just appeared  in front of him to realize he had stopped crying and started breathing normally.

Reaching the edge of the lake, Hinata sat down, letting the water wash over his legs. Kageyama slowly joined him. They sat in silence for a while until Hinata finally began to speak. "I get like that sometimes before volleyball games. I usually end up running off to the bathrooms and puking but I feel like if I had a lake available to me I'd take the opportunity, y'know?"

Kageyama sat beside him, mouth useless for a while before it finally managed to form words. "You play volleyball?"

It looked like fireworks went off in Hinata's head. Energy shone into Hinata's eyes as the same blinding smile returned four times as strong. Once again, Kageyama found himself speechless, but there was no way he could excuse the pressure in his chest as hatred. "It's the best thing in the world!" Hinata shouted.

Before he could stop himself, a flash of the same fervor Hinata had shown flashed in his own eyes. Squeaking sneakers and sweat flashed across his mind before he pulled himself back to the present. The nice feeling from before had been replaced with a dull ache in his chest. His mouth moved without his permission. "I pl- I used to play volleyball." He feared the rush of questions that would follow, but Hinata just raced back to the edge of the tree lines path that had brought them to the lake and returned with a scratched, brown volleyball.

"Toss to me please! Toss! Toss!"

Too shocked by Hinata's energy to refuse, Kageyama walked over to where Hinata was now standing on the sand. Hinata  threw the ball over to Kageyama, and as he held it in his hand, he was overcome with the thought of how right it felt to be holding a volleyball again. He tossed it to Hinata, and they began a pattern of casual receives.

They were completely unaware of the passage of time until Kageyama yawned while tossing and Hinata received the toss with his face. Kageyama responded with a shouted, "How do you even do that, dumbass?!" and a quieter, "Are you okay?"

Hinata didn't answer any of his questions, instead looking up at the setting sun in the sky. "Oi, Kageyama, we've been out here for a while." He started walking back to the nook where he had initially retrieved his volleyball, then met Kageyama by the entrance of the forest trail. They walked back in companionable silence (Sparing the few minutes Hinata spent bemoaning the missed flag raising ceremony. Even if Kageyama didn't hate him anymore, he couldn't forgive Hinata's excessive camp spirit.) that left Kageyama wondering when Hinata had gone from the obnoxious kid on his bed to a guy  he spent hours playing volleyball with without feeling uncomfortable or anxious. He shook the sentiments from his head as the path's end became clear in the horizon, Hinata shouting, "Race you!" before breaking into a sprint. Kageyama stood paralyzed for a second before running after him. "You bastard! That's cheating!"

As the sun set on his first day at Camp Karasuno, Kageyama grudgingly wondered if maybe, just maybe, the next three weeks wouldn't be a complete waste after all.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its really hard to write Kageyama in this fic because Kags is a brash, awkward asshole but in this universe he also went through a year of mistrust at aoba johsai where Karasuno wasn't there to help him and he got the only thing that really mattered to him ripped away from him. so I feel like Kageyama would be the same angry little shit he is in canon but with a lot of pain buried right underneath him (also canon). he's been broken so many times it takes very little to send him over the edge again (points at tsukki). so i have to balance him being very loud and angry and him being very sensitive and withdrawn. poor child.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> not much happens but the camp aesthetic stays strong

By the time Kageyama and Hinata arrived at the end of the dirt path, panting and sweating from their impromptu race, Kageyama was ready for a cold shower and good night of sleep. What he wasn’t ready for was Hinata grabbing his wrist and pulling him towards the main field of the campground. He wasn’t exactly expecting the large bonfire that burned in the middle of the clearing either. The fire was high, and a deep orange color that stood out against the darkening purple sky. Campers were sitting all around the fire, the younger kids sitting on carved logs while older campers lounged towards the back of the fire, talking to each other contentedly.

Hinata released Kageyama’s wrist as they found a group of kids around Hinata’s age, sitting with the counselors and CIT's Kageyama had seen earlier. Kageyama wasn’t pleased to find Tsukishima and Yamaguchi among them, but most of the campers just looked at him curiously, wondering who he was and how Hinata knew him. Tsukishima just looked distrustful. A shorter blonde girl eventually approached Hinata, glancing timidly at Kageyama before asking Hinata who he was.

“Ah, Hitoka! I haven’t seen you in forever!”

A weakly interjected “Y-you saw me two days ago, Hinata. I only went home for one day!” was supplied by the shy girl in front of him. Hinata seemed not to hear what she said.

“This is Kageyama. He’s staying in my cabin. He’s kind of an asshole but he’s really good at volleyball, so he’s okay… Kageyama, meet Yachi!”

Kageyama nodded stiffly, greeting her. Yachi, replied with her own hello, equally feeble. She had a few friendship bracelets on her wrist, much less than Hinata. One featured an intricate black and orange design, matching one of Hinata’s. When Kageyama asked her about it, he learned she had made it, alongside a few of Hinata’s other bracelets. Kageyama decided he liked her more than Tsukishima already. 

Suddenly, another high pitched voice caught Hinata’s attention. From one of the logs near the fire, a tiny but forceful “Sho-chan!” could be heard. Hinata glanced over to the source before turning back to Kageyama and Yachi. 

“My sister. The opening campfire should be starting soon, but I’ll only take a minute!” He explained. Hinata was gone before either of them could reply. Eventually, they fell into idle conversation, Kageyama sitting on the ground and watching the fire while Yachi gave him the names of some of the nearby campers. She also revealed that Asahi, the brunette Kageyama had seen earlier, was the nephew of the camp’s current owners. Kageyama found his gaze flickering to two tufts of red hair moving animatedly near the fire. 

The campfire ceremony started a few minutes later, counselors talking about the history of the camp and its legacy. More time passed. The CIT’s had taken the stage, a girl with black hair and glasses alongside the two boys Kageyama saw earlier leading the campers in a humorous song. Hinata had yet to return. After a hearty round of applause, the CIT’s sat down. Kageyama thought the ceremony was over, turning to Yachi to ask if he was right and finding himself surprised by the anticipatory smile on Yachi’s face. She just nodded back at the fire, Kageyama following her gaze. He blinked a few times, in disbelief upon finding Hinata holding the audience captive, body outlined by the huge fire in front of him. In a quiet yet powerful voice, Hinata began to speak, his voice strong and sure. “Have you heard the legend of Kintaro?” 

Suddenly, the shorter of the two CIT’s Kageyama had seen being lectured rose from the side of the fire, brandishing a long branch as a sword. Kageyama remembered him from when Yachi was teaching him names. Nishinoya. 

He was broken from his thoughts by the sound of the majority of the campers, Yachi included, speaking a reply together. “Kusojiji? Did you say Kusojiji?” Some of the younger campers were giggling. Nishinoya adjusted his heroic posture as the audience spoke, turning his "sword" into a cane and hunching over it. 

Hinata smiled widely before continuing. Kageyama exhaled quickly at the sight, but was too distracted by Hinata’s voice to consider why his breath left him so suddenly. “The golden boy, Kintaro! I’m here to tell you about Kintaro’s adventures.” Nishinoya stood tall once again, winking at someone in the audience. Kageyama watched in awe as everyone fell back in a false swoon.

The other CIT, Tanaka, did so with great emphasis before shouting out, “Tell us more about this handsome hero!” 

Nishinoya struck a pose as Hinata continued, introducing other characters. Kageyama felt a tiny bit of camp spirit seep into his cold heart as the campers around him mimicked each of them, growling for the bear, making antlers for the deer, chittering as Hinata introduced the monkey, and giving their neighbors bunny-ears as Hinata told them about the hare. Nishinoya did an admirable job throughout, personifying every character on his own. 

The story continued for a while, the audience laughing and playing along the entire time. When it reached its end, Hinata and Nishinoya bowed to a loud applause before jogging back to their spots by the fire. Hinata offered Kageyama a small smile as he took a seat by his side before returning his attention to the fire. Finally, an actual adult revealed himself to the campers, alongside Asahi. He was short, with dark hair and glasses, and spoke gently. “Thank you Hinata and Nishinoya for the wonderful story to end our opening campfire. We would also like to thank Asahi’s family for allowing the Karasuno volleyball team to work as staff and participate as campers on their grounds. We look forward to the next three weeks of our time together! Asahi, anything to add?” 

Asahi seemed surprised by the older man’s statement before turning back to the campers. “Ah, well, make sure to use your flashlights when returning to your cabins, and all campers from the upper camp should be careful not to trip. And...lights out is in thirty minutes. Thank you all for making our first day here memorable.” 

Tanaka and Nishinoya whooped as Asahi finished speaking, both silenced by a glare from Daichi and not-so-gentle punch in the arm from Suga. Slowly, flashlights began to flicker to life as the fire faltered. Kageyama found himself following Hinata’s voice back to the tents, hardly processing anything he said. He was exhausted, but surprisingly, content. It felt good to hold a volleyball in his hands again, to be around people. They reached their tent and Kageyama worked through his nighttime ritual in a daze, eager to fall into bed and sleep. He assumed even Tsukishima was too tired to bother him. Even Hinata seemed exhausted, and had good reason to be. The last thing Kageyama heard as he finished changing and finally laid down in bed was a quiet “Goodnight, Kageyama.” from Hinata.

He dreamt of a court, no longer empty and cold, but occupied with a flash of red hair and a charming bright smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hinata's story is an actual Japanese folktale you can read here: http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/72/japanese-fairy-tales/3080/the-adventures-of-kintaro-the-golden-boy/
> 
> and Kusojiji basically means old fart, or gross old man, which is why everyone was giggling
> 
> thank you for reading! please leave feedback if you enjoyed!


End file.
